In the 23rd century, Constitution-class starships were equipped with an ion pod, allowing the starships to acquire data in conditions that defeated their conventional sensor platforms. Starships traversing ion storms were buffeted by the storms "weather" effects and subjected to tremendous hull pressures and stress. Starfleet used the measurement of a storm's relative effect on the ship as a supplementary data point to judge the intensity of an ion storm, and hazards it posed. Minor but noticeable "natural vibrations" were labeled Force-2 on an incremental scale. Above Force-7, the starship was at increased risk and subject to the captain's call for red alert status. (TOS: "Court Martial")

Later that year, an ion storm near the Halkan homeworld resulted in a power surge in the Enterprise's transporter, causing momentary interdimensional contact with a parallel universe. CaptainKirk, DoctorMcCoy, CommanderScott, and LieutenantUhura, who were beaming up to the Enterprise at the time, materialized in the other universe, transposing with their counterparts from that universe, who experienced an identical accident at the same time. Later, after reviewing the events which led up to the accident, the Enterprise crewmembers were able to recreate the power surge using energy tapped from the ship's engines, and return to their own universe. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")